May 2011
Page 1 of 1
The back roads of England are awash with pretty villages, proper country pubs and other hidden treasures, and there’s no better way to see it all than by bike, says Matt Carroll
--315260ba-f807-4f2f-98c0-d9ef7aed87d8-0-450x521.jpg)
Lakeside to near Sawrey
Illustration by Harriet Yeomans
Distance: 15 MILES
This route takes you along a tree-lined lane that hugs the shore of Lake Windermere, where dappled sunlight filters through the overhead branches. Call in at the birthplace of Mrs Tiggywinkle, Jemima Puddle-Duck and the other famous animals that appeared in Beatrix Potter's books. They were all based on real animals, which the children's author kept at Hill Top — her cosy farmhouse in Near Sawrey. And after nosing around the writer's home - which looks as though she's just popped out for a walk — you could lunch at the Tower Bank Arms. This, too, is a bit of a time warp, with stone floors worn by centuries of shuffling feet and a crackling open fire in winter. Then loop back to The Knoll B&B, where you started, in time for tea.
Stop and see Hill Top (nationaltrust.org), the farm that Beatrix Potter bought with the royalties from her first books.
Eat, drink, sleep Surrounded by trees on the southern tip of Lake Windermere, the Knoll (theknoll-lakeside.co.uk) is all about pre-dinner G&Ts followed by home-cooked treats such as spiced parsnip and apple soup.
Bike hire Country Lanes (countrylaneslakedistrict.co.uk).
